Are parishioners liable for priests' conduct?
That question must be answered before we contribute one cent to the stewardship (ie compensation) fund which our bishops have set up to compensate those who allege they were molested by priests.
If one of our priests were alleged to have robbed a bank and to have lost the money on horses, would his parishioners be obliged to compensate the bank?
If that priest were in a parish in a diocese 100 miles away, would we in Dublin parishes be so obliged? Obviously, our bishops would not dream of levying us for that.
Yet, they are levying to compensate for molestation.
More ridiculously still, they are levying without having it legally established that molestation took place and that, where so established, all priests and practising Catholics are legally and morally obliged to shoulder the compensation burden.
Until the question is answered, there should be a total suspension of the activities of the stewardship fund. Millions may have already been misallocated.
Joe Foyle
Sandford Road
Ranelagh
Dublin 6.
